Edinburgh Basketball Club based at Portobello High School and involving lots of local kids has a huge run of success at the weekend winning Multiple National Championships. See photos (selfies of course) of lots of happy kids: pic.twitter.com/izsdKhzJAz Well done everybody involved. What great results!

A reminder of our local Dementia Friendly Portobello initiative Details here: www.homeinstead.co.uk/edinburgh/2406.do There is a free dementia care training session tomorrow evening, Tuesday 11 March at St Philip’s Church, Brunstane Road North from 7pm to 9pm.

Local Councillors are asked whether or not we approve of names suggested for particular new developments. There is a bank of names, with local historical connections, to which local people can add their own suggestions. These will be considered for additions to the bank of names. The two attached documents are the latest selection of street names for two new developments in the Greendykes area, either built out or about to be built. The local family names are mostly taken from the first Edinburgh census in 1841 which covered the local area. I also have the location plans a street layout maps, if you would like them.

One of the names suggested – Milligan – is to name a street after Faye Milligan whose name was suggested some time ago by local people in the Craigmillar/Greendykes/Niddrie area. Faye Milligan was prominent in Craigmillar Festival Society drama and arts productions and went on to a successful career in drama. She sadly died, far too young, in her fifties.

I have just 21 days to get back to ‘street naming’ officers on the Craigmillar ones so if you have a view do let me know! To see the whole bank of names from which we can choose, currently (additional suggestions welcome) go to: Portobello/Craigmillar Name Bank

Portobello Amnesty are holding a Coffee Morning with Books, Baking Toys and Games stalls. Saturday 22 March 10am to 12 noon in the Old Parish Church Bellfield Street Portobello. £1 entrance fee includes coffee/tea and biscuits. Games with woodcraft and knitting table with Wool against Weapons. Music from Caleerie Buskers.

Police report that on Monday 3 March a 17 yr old male arrested and put in custody for break-ins to a garage and shed at Park Avenue and Niddrie Mains Drive on 27 February. Information from the local police on how to secure your gardens shed is here: m.youtube.com/watch?v=fuXUgpAc-L4&feature=youtu.be

You might be interested in the Designing Streets plan unveiled which would seek to make city more cycling and pedestrian friendly. It’s out for consultation: tinyurl.com/oew6tb8

The Council has been undertaking quite a lot of analysis of information, broken down to community and neighbourhood level, based on the 2011 Census and has published this for general use. Please See here for more information.

Watch the Council’s new website video to find out more about our new Council website. From April 2014, the easy to use site will be available from a range of devices, like tablets and smart phones at any time of the day. The new website has a clear and simple design which is modern and uncluttered. Information is arranged around popular tasks making it easier to navigate and quicker to find what you are looking for. Work on the back office processes and new, automated responses means the Counicl should be faster at dealing with your requests while keeping you informed about progress. Up to 30 transactions will be rolled out in this first phase. These include reporting road defects, a missed bin collection and being able to view rent or a previous payment. More services will follow over the next year.

The monitoring of the three central Portobello pedestrian crossings and the traffic flow at the Bath Street/Brighton Place/Portobello High Street junction is ongoing and tweaks will be made, as necessary. I have answers to some frequently asked questions should you need them meantime. The maximum wait at any pedestrian crossing should be 60 seconds. There is no less ‘green man’ crossing time than there was before the changes were made.